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T0 ALL TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known4 that I, THOMAS JAMES, 4ot the city ot' New York, in the Sta-te of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Locking and Fastening Travelling-Bags and similar articles'; and I do hereby declare that the following is a t'ull and exact description thereof, and which will enable others skilled in the art to Vconstruct and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon, making part of this specification, letters being used to designate similar parts in the several figures.

My improvement consists, first, in locking and unlocking the jaws Vof a travelling, mail, or carpet-bag, or

valise at two or more remotepbints, by merely turning a single key as in an ordinary lock; second, in so securi ing the bolt in position when locked that it cannot lbe forced back or displaced without manual application.

Figure 1 is a View of the' interior of jaw A, showing the bolt, springs, catches, Ste.

Figure 2 is a view of the hooked catch.

Figure 3 is a front view of the sliding-drop.

Figure 4 is a view of the staple.

Figure 5 is a view of the interior of `jaw B, showing the staples in place.

A B are thejaws ofthe frame, constructed of metal or other suitable material in the ordinary manner. C is a movable bolt, running nearly the length of the jaw A, having near its centre, andwhen locked, at a point opposite the key-hole, a notch, a, and at its sidewhere the jaw B is to connect, the hooked catches b b b. The bolt is secured to jaw A by staples c c, or other convenient means, so that it may slide back and forth with facility. E is a sliding-catch, arranged in suitable ways to permit it to slide up and down freely in jaw A,

directly above the key-hole, and hasnJ spring, pressing upon its upper end, to force and keep it downinto the notch a. ThisV catch is raised or otherwise firmly secured to a sliding-drop, F, in such position that when it is up out of the notch a the lower end ot` the drop will rest uponthe top of the key. G. is a spring secured 'to jaw A, and presses against jaw B', when the bag is closed, and throws it open when the bolt is forced back, in the operation of unlocking. far enough to release the hooked catches. H is a spring secured to end of jaw A, bearing-against and acting uponthc end of bolt C, and forces the bolt forward, locking the jaws together without the aid ot' a key. e is a shoulder on the bolt, for the bit ot` the key to act against in unlocking. fj'f are staples securedto jawB, placed in snchposition that they will receive the hooked catches ot' the holt when the two jaws are brought together and the bolt is thrown forward in locking the bag. The spring II may be dispensed with,by constructing the bolt so that its rear end, when thrown back far enough'to fully release the hooked staples from the catches, will touch the end ot` thejaw, and providing the ordinary recess in the bolt for the bit of the key to ply into, so that the key will act both ways on it, as in the common locks. And the con# struction ot' the drop may be so varied, that instead of' resting' on the top ot' the key to keep the sliding catch up, as provided, it may b'e raised by the operator.

- The operation of klocking is performed by simply bringing the two `jaws together, when the bolt is thrown back land impelled by theylspring H, when the spring is employed, or by turning the key, when the spring is dispensed with, will move forward the catches bbb into the staplesfff; then,by withdrawing the key, the slidingcatch E will drop or be forced down into notch holding the bolt firmly into itslocked position. Inunlocking, the catch E is released from the notch a in the bolt by placing the key under the drop F, (which may either partially or entirely cover the keyhole,) when down, and pressing upward until the key enters the key-hole. The drop resting upon the top of the key prevents the sliding-catch from dropping into the notch, and leaves' the bolt tojmove as described.

What I claim as new, and desire -to secure b v Letters Patent, is-

The bolt C, provided with a notch', a, nud two or more hooked catches, with corresponding staples in the oppositejaw, in combination with the sliding-catch E and drop F, the whole constructedand arranged substantially as and for the purposes specified.

ylhe above Specification ot' .my invention signed by me this 28th day ot' January, 1867.

'THOMAS JAMES-- Witnesses:

Tnos. 1). JAMES, Pnrnn VAN ANTWERP.' 

